Poker Face
by sweetandsaltyff
Summary: Alternate Shippers Challenge entry. Finding themselves newly single, best friends Bella and Leah are ready for a summer of fun and adventure. When their explorations take a surprising turn and Bella sees a new side of Leah, her world is shaken.


"**The Alternate-Shipper Challenge"**

**Title: Poker Face**

**Pen name: Saltygoodness24**

**Existing work:** N/A

**Primary Players: Bella and Leah**

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters are property of their respective owner. No copyright infringement is intended.

**To see other entries in the, please visit the C2: **http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Alternate_Shipper_Challenge_Entries/81593/99/0/1/

A/N Sincere thanks go to TwilightMundi for being a wonderful beta, and FragileLittleHuman, MauraLee88, and MsKathy for prereading. And also to Einfach_Mich for inspiring my love of Leah.

Leah and I had been pretty much inseparable all summer. We were both newly single, fresh out of long-term relationships and determined to reclaim our identities and have as much fun as we possibly could. Leah had been with Sam for two years when he had dumped her for her own cousin, a bitter fact that left her humiliated and angry. I was 0 for 2 in the relationship department, having been heartbroken a few years back when Edward, my first love, had left me abruptly, and, after finally recovering from that heartbreak and moving on with Jake, found myself unsatisfied and bored with our comfortable relationship. Poor Jake had invested nearly two years with me before I could admit that my feelings for him were never going to match the intensity of his for me. So, two ugly breakups found Leah and me in a place of freedom, adventure, and a little rebellion.

It didn't take either of us long to realize how great it felt to be free. There were moments of loneliness for sure, but we spent so much time together that those moments were few. I knew that Leah's pride kept her from showing her hurt about Sam. To everyone else, she had moved on and was just pissed about it, but I knew her better and was glad to be by her side, even if she didn't want to talk about it. As for me, I felt sad that I had hurt Jake, but a larger part of me was grateful that, because of my relationship with him I had found Leah, and our friendship had become incomparable.

It was one of the last summers we would ever be able to be so carefree and we were making the most of it. Since we were between our first and second years of college, we didn't feel pressured to find an internship or get a high-paying job. It was, in a sense, our last "real summer."

Leah Clearwater looked like a goddess straight out of one of the Quileute's sacred legends. Her beautiful face was petite and delicate even with the classic angular cheekbones of her heritage. She had the thickest, glossiest raven-colored hair I had ever seen that fell in a heavy cascade down her back, nearly touching the top of her perfectly shaped ass. Her skin was impossibly smooth and soft in the most beautiful shade of light bronze-brown, like a creamy cappuccino. Her slim legs went on for miles and she had amazing curves. But her eyes were what stood out above everything else. She had exotic, beautiful hazel eyes that were almond-shaped and framed by luxurious black lashes that were thick and long. She was breathtaking.

I had always envied Leah's looks but had recently come into my own, and felt a confidence within myself that I had never before possessed. Perhaps it came from realizations I had in my first year of college – that I was smart and capable, having successfully carried out my first year with straight A's. I had also begun to see my physical self with new eyes and recognized my fit body for what it was: pretty awesome. My hair had grown long and fell in brown waves all the way to my waist, and the summer sun had begun to lighten it, leaving glittering natural golden highlights. My body had filled out, my breasts growing a cup size in the past year, and I could admit that my small waist and nicely rounded ass looked especially hot in low-rise jeans. I was petite but had become rather voluptuous. I began to see my heart-shaped face, creamy skin, and big brown eyes as attractive rather than plain. It was a revelation, and it changed my entire experience of life to feel this great swell in confidence.

Admittedly, we were both pretty fucking hot. Leah had always been a complete knockout and I was feeling better about myself than ever before. As a pair, we had been attracting the attention of most of the available male population in Forks and the reservation community around La Push. And we certainly didn't mind.

We had spent the day at the beach with a large group of our friends who were camping out there for a few days. For the past couple of weeks I had been in a flirty holding pattern with Peter. Tonight we had finally kissed and were making out on the beach, when we were interrupted by his insane crazybitch ex-girlfriend who practically started hurling river rocks at me. I bolted out of there, (because really, what guy is worth the wrath of a psychobitch?) and Leah and I rushed home to my house, where we proceeded to get shitfaced while playing cards with a favorite 80's movie on in the background.

"Fuck, you won again!" I said, slamming my full hand of cards down, scowling at the table. Leah grinned at me while maintaining her classic expression of calm composure with a hint of superiority. Then she winked at me.

"Damn right, Bee, I can beat your ass sober but you have no chance when you're trashed."

"Ugh! What else is new," I said with a pout, giving her my best "poor me" puppy dog face. "No fairrrr." I may have batted my eyelashes to go along with my pout. I was an impossible flirt when drunk no matter who I was with.

Leah leaned toward me slowly, crossing the small table, her eyes at once intense and playful. All I could do was watch as her face moved closer and closer to me until I could feel the soft puffs of her breath on my face. I was captivated by her gaze, my chin slowly dropping down a few inches until I was looking deeply in her eyes.

Her eyes were mesmerizing. I was frozen in her gaze.

"pffffffftt aaaahhhhh!" I screamed, suddenly feeling a rush of wind as all of the cards flew up in the air and fluttered into my face, raining down all around me.

Leah had sneakily moved her hand underneath the deck and flipped it up in my face.

Sputtering, I picked a card out of my hair and glared at Leah.

Leah laughed and leaned back, crossing her arms and settling into her chair with a very self-satisfied smirk.

I just _had_ to get her back, so I got up, still glaring at her, and headed toward the kitchen, taking my empty bottle under the ruse of getting another beer, stealthily moving to tip her chair as I walked by.

I had intended to tip her chair and dump her on the floor. I wasn't so stealthy however—clumsy might have been more accurate. I somehow ended up falling on my own ass on the floor next to her while she stayed fixed in place, her arms still crossed and eyes twinkling before she busted up in laughter at me.

"Oh, Bee, you are freakin' hilarious. Nice try, girlfriend."

I sat on my ass, sprawled out like a crab on a floor that was littered with cards, a smug, smirking Leah condescendingly laughing at me, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. This had been some fucking night.

I dropped my red face into my hands and moaned.

"Get me a fucking beer, bitch."

"Okay, okay, little girl," Leah soothed, crouching down to wrap her arms around my waist before pulling me tight to her body and hooking her hands up under my arms and around my shoulders as she hoisted me up.

"I think you've had enough for tonight, yeah?" she pulled back just enough to look me directly in the eyes but kept her arms around me for support. Her expression had softened from one of teasing to one of sincere care. I gave her one more pouty look before leaning further into her, turning my head sideways to rest my cheek on her shoulder.

"I guess so," I murmured sleepily, sliding my arms around Leah's waist.

She was so soft and warm, and yet so strong. I could easily lean all of my weight on her and she didn't budge. As I exhaled a soft sigh into her hair, I felt completely safe and content, still enjoying the light euphoria of my buzz and allowing myself to relax and succumb to the exhaustion and stress of the day and all that had happened at the beach.

Leah responded to my embrace by giving me a squeeze and running her open hand over my head, petting me like a kitten.

"Yep, it's time for bed, my Bella girl," she said quietly. I gave her a little squeeze back in response and inhaled her sweet feminine scent.

She smelled so good, like girly things and fresh salt air. I couldn't resist pressing my face into her neck, nuzzling under her hair below her ear. Her skin was so soft and her neck was so small and I was beginning to feel soooo sleepy.

"Thanks for saving my ass tonight Lee," I said, slurring my words slightly. "That was scary. I thought that bitch was really going to kill me!"

"I wouldn't let anyone hurt you Bell. You're my girl," Leah said.

I sighed and nuzzled a little closer.

"I know. Y'always make everything better. Always have so much fun with you, Lee. Thanks for dissstracting me."

"You do the same for me, Bee. C'mon, let's get you to bed, yeah?" Leah said, pulling me up and turning me sideways so that we could walk with her arm around my waist for support.

"Mmmm, bed sounds good."

After helping me up the stairs to wash up and forcing me to drink a full glass of water, Leah helped me into my bed before cleaning up herself and turning off my bedroom light, crawling in beside me. We pretty much slept at either her house or mine most nights, but on weekends like this one when my dad was out of town on fishing trips, she always stayed with me.

I was lying on my side facing away from Leah, giggling a little and mumbling to her about some of the crazy things that had happened earlier in the evening on the beach.

"Sshhh, Bell, we can figure it out tomorrow. Fucking Peter should have told you that his ex-girlfriend was crazy. Don't worry though."

Leah pushed gently at my back and said, "Turn over, I'll rub your shoulders and put you to sleep."

"Ohhhh, yeah, thanks Lee." I turned just enough to pull my tank top over my head and flopped onto my stomach. Leah sat up a little and began working her gentle hands on my back.

In an instant, I was relaxed and supple, Leah soothing me into complete serenity.

Her small warm hands made gentle passes across my back alternating between kneading my shoulders and pressing her thumbs along my spine with soft feather-light strokes down the length of my torso. It felt divine. And so different from the large rough hands I was used to. Jake's single hand could practically span across both of my shoulder blades. This was different. It was at once delicate and deliberate, the small size of Leah's hand allowing for much more detailed focus on my skin and muscles.

I was putty in her hands. My buzz kept me happily warm, my mind thick and slow like warm syrup, my belly tingling, my skin sensitive. Leah's hands were healing and awakening on my skin.

After awhile Leah's touch shifted away from the strong kneading of my shoulder knots and continued with more consistent long strokes spreading out and lightly grazing along my back in a circuit of passes of soft fingers. Down, up, around the top of my shoulders, down my arms, up the spine, down my shoulders and spine, ever so soft, ever so graceful and light. Stronger than a tickle, lighter than a rub. I think this is what heaven must feel like.

On the passes where her hands went up or down my sides, I felt her begin to turn her hands sideways, thumbs facing up parallel to my spine, the base of her palms mirroring each other on the way. This allowed her fingers a wider reach and a few times they grazed the sides of my breasts just beneath the juncture of my arms before moving away. Each graze of her light fingertips along the plump swell of the side of my breast sent an electric buzz directly between my legs. The buzz would pulse and tingle before fading away. As the grazes became more consistent, the tingling had less time to die down, keeping me in a steady state of buzzing, pulsing tingling, my clit beginning to lightly throb.

I knew Leah wasn't doing this on purpose. She was a healer by nature, and once she befriended you, she put great care and attention into your comfort and wellbeing. Her massages were not unusual, and she had frequently soothed me and stroked me to oblivion with her healing hands.

But this time was different. I had never felt her fingers wander with any consistency to my breasts, even just the sides, which had now become included in her regular circuit of gentle passes. I'm sure she didn't even realize what she was touching and certainly had no idea what it would stimulate in me, especially in my warm defenseless state.

After a few more minutes of this, my body was thrumming, tingling, tickling with desire. I suppose anyone could have elicited that response with the type of touches I was experiencing. It wasn't that I desired Leah, it was just that my skin was experiencing sensations that were connected to that primitive place in my core that ignited heat and need.

I was just about to turn on my side to indicate to Leah that she could stop her massage and go to sleep when I was awakened by a more deliberate sensation that forced me to consider whether the breast-grazes were truly accidental.

As her hands had come up my back from the base of my spine, her fingers trailing along my waist while the base of her palm pressed light pressure on the flat of my back, her fingers curved down further around my side, skimming my belly as they glided slowly up my body. Heading straight toward my breasts which were smashed against the cool sheets, her fingers didn't falter, tracing, every so lightly, to the base of my breast, following its curve up and around, nearly skimming my nipple.

My breath caught for a moment, my heart beat speeding up and ripples of warm pleasure fanning out from the place where she skimmed my breast down to my throbbing clit which felt like the center of my body, my body's real heartbeat.

Breathless, my heartbeat was loud in my ears and my skin felt heated as my hot blood increased in temperature. I was perfectly still, waiting to see what would happen next.

Leah didn't falter. She continued her soft strokes along my back until she came to the same place in her massage circuit, once again letting her fingers curve at my waist, around my belly, up along my ribs, following the base of my breast up over its curve, this time grazing my nipple and then withdrawing to continue up to my shoulders.

She seemed unruffled, not a second of hesitation or even the slightest change of pace in her rubdown.

Except…..

Except that my breath had caught on my last inhale, just after her fingertips passed along the sensitive tip of my nipples and I hadn't exhaled yet.

And in that moment of breathlessness, frozen in time, I could hear Leah's breathing.

And her breaths were heavy and fast.

Still quiet, Leah was…..panting.

I was completely still. Unable to start breathing again. Because now I definitely could not relax into the same space I was in before when I thought these breast grazes were accidental.

They were intentional. Leah was touching my breasts with her fingers. I had been on the receiving end of countless massages and rubdowns by Leah, but I had never felt this.

Hell, I had never even _thought_ about anything like this. What was this?

At this point the engine of my desire had been idling for what seemed like forever, being stoked and sustained by each gentle pass of Leah's fingertips.

My body had been worked into a low thrumming and was building into a steady purr of need, and I was reaching a point where I felt I might combust.

Leah made one more pass over my breasts and I reflexively arched my back, giving her room for…more.

Leah paused for a split second, then continued, taking advantage of the room I made for her and reached her soft hands around to cup my breasts completely.

And she left them there, stopping the constant motion of her massage.

In the stillness of that moment, my desire was a pulsing, living thing, relentlessly pounding in my blood and throbbing in between my legs.

I had never been more turned on in all my life.

I needed. Needed so much right now, needed everything.

My earlier buzz from the alcohol had completely cleared, making room for a fog of lust to move into its place.

Leah's hands remained cupped around my breasts, the tips of her fingers now stroking lightly over my hardened nipples.

I couldn't think about what this meant right now, my body had taken over and I felt nothing but sensation in my skin, my belly, between my legs.

I felt Leah shift slightly, her silky hair falling onto my back, tickling and caressing my bare skin.

I felt her breath on the back of my neck for a long moment, and then warm, soft lips pressed a single kiss there, just behind my ear.

Leah whispered, "Bee?"

In that moment I made a conscious choice. It didn't matter who it was, what it meant. I was too far gone to care, a wanton creature of need. I needed more.

I quickly flipped over onto my back, still under her, bringing us face to face in an instant. The moonlight illuminated us and I searched her eyes, which sparkled beautifully in the glow of the room.

Her long lashes framed eyes that expressed sincerity, desire, and a hint of shock and fear.

Leah was straddling me but felt so light, her lithe muscular legs holding her weight off of my body. Her gaze flicked down to my chest for a beat, taking in my quick breaths and bare breasts.

Leah's hands were on my sides now, fixed there since I had rolled over. Our eyes met again, and keeping my gaze, Leah ghosted her hands up over my skin, settling them directly on my breasts.

Eyes locked, watching for my reaction, she whispered once again, "Bee?"

I looked down at her hands on my chest, my skin pale and creamy in the moonlight, my rose-colored nipples peeking out between her fingers. I took in the lovely difference in our coloring, her tanned golden skin contrasting against my ivory. My gaze traveled up her arms, noticing the soft curve of her shoulder and the sexy definition of her collarbones. Leah was wearing a white cotton cami and I could see the supple curve of her breasts and the shadow of her own hardened nipples through the thin fabric. I looked to the place where she was straddling me, the waistband of her boxer shorts rolled down, exposing a strip of skin and her navel, the shorts riding up high on her thighs where she hovered above me, resting lightly on my pelvis which was only covered in white cotton panties.

Looking back up into Leah's face I was struck by the unfathomable beauty of her form above me, black hair tumbling over her shoulders and brushing my belly, her striking eyes soft in the moonlight, lashes thick and resting gently downward as her eyes turned shy.

I suddenly realized that I hadn't answered her and while her hands were still softly holding my breasts, she began to look nervous.

My body still thrumming with desire, I knew there was no turning back now, that this was going to happen.

I reached up, covering her hands with mine for a moment and after giving them a gentle squeeze, left them cupping my breasts as I let my hands drift up her arms to her shoulders. Our eyes still locked, I tangled my fingers through her hair at the back of her neck and gently pulled her down toward me, using my abdominals to lift myself slightly so there could be no doubt about my intention.

My gaze fixed on her soft lips, she moved forward, taking my cue.

The moment her lips touched mine, another wave of burning heat pulsed through my body, centered between my legs. Her mouth was soft, so much softer than any lips I had felt before. They were warm and sweet as they moved with mine in slow, tentative kisses.

Leah's hands were still frozen on my breasts as we kissed, our chests pressing together with her arms trapped between them. Before long, the kisses turned more urgent and our mouths opened to each other, sweet sugary lips brushing, sucking, soft licks teasing.

I burned. I had never sustained this length of teasing desire and I was bubbling with it, burning with arousal and need.

Breaking our kiss I looked Leah straight in the eyes and whispered, "Lee, it's okay."

My eyes must have conveyed the permission that I was granting because suddenly Leah seemed to surrender to her own desire, which I now could see had been building as much as mine.

Always so composed, so collected, it was surprising when Leah allowed her cards to show, when that composure was disturbed.

Evidently, I was the one person who could dismantle Leah's poker face.

She nodded and crashed her lips against mine once again, our wet tongues gliding together like ribbons in the wind, moving, swirling, tasting.

Leah's hands began moving in a new way, groping and caressing my breasts, teasing my nipples until I was writhing and arching, shamelessly begging for more with the language of my body.

Leah's kisses shifted to my neck, soft lips but hard presses, licking, sucking down my neck, stoking the fire in my veins, the flame in my belly.

Hands still teasing, her kisses finally made it to my chest, warm lips coming together around my nipple, shocking my system in a wave of pleasure unlike anything I could remember feeling before.

Her hot tongue licked over my hardened flesh, then lips closed around it, sucking softly then harder, the faintest scraping of teeth.

I arched and moaned, spreading my legs open and moving my hips rhythmically trying to find some friction in the place where I burned the hottest. It felt like an invisible electric thread was vibrating underneath my skin, connecting my nipple straight to my throbbing clit and sending shocks between them.

Shameless and wanton I writhed, lost in the pleasure of her mouth on my body, reaching for my climax which had been building for what felt like hours now. A few more seconds of Leah's worship and I was coming, coming in ecstasy as one final pulse sent the throbbing over the threshold, shooting from my nipple downward, my untouched pussy clenching in waves of bliss as my climax coursed through me.

Leah's mouth had moved to my other breast, her hands still teasing them and I took a breath, shocked with the realization that I had come, I had really orgasmed from her mouth on my nipples alone.

I had _come_. From nipple sucking!

I didn't even know that was possible.

Calming down some, my consciousness returned to the moment and what was happening. Leah was beautiful above me, lost in the worship of my breasts with her mouth, boldly exploring them with her hands. She looked up at me, still kissing, and moved lower down to my belly, circling my navel with her tongue.

I reached for her, conscious now that I'd boiled over, wanting to return the attention, make her feel as good as she was making me feel.

As I reached, she met my hand with hers and squeezed, but slowly shook her head, indicating her desire to continue.

I tugged on her hand lightly, whispering "c'mere Lee," but she held my hand firm and continued her kisses on my belly, reaching the curve of my hip where any touch always drove me wild.

"Shhhh, Bell, let me do this, kay? I wanna make you feel good," she whispered into my sensitive skin, flipping her silky hair over to one side where it tickled my torso.

I tried again, reaching for her but her intense look stopped me. "Bee, please. I wanna try something. Please?" she begged between wet kisses.

She looked dreamy. Like she was enjoying my body, my skin as much as I was enjoying her touch. One well-placed lick to my hip bone had my eyes rolling back and my hips arching up into her. I didn't put up any more resistance.

Leah's kisses continued around my hips as her hand brushed up my inner thigh, toying with the seam of my panties. A brand new type of electric throb pulsed through me there, bursting up inside of me. She glanced up at my face through her lashes, sultry, sexy, kissing lower and lower until her mouth pressed warm kisses right there. Right. There.

Her eyes were watching me, so very sexy, her mouth kissing hard on my most sensitive place, and her fingers slipped beneath the elastic of my panties to stroke at my slick, soft flesh.

For a brief moment I saw with clarity what was actually happening and tried not to panic. I mean, this was Leah. My best girl, Leah, and she was _doing things _to me. I was seeing her in a new light, one that I had never even considered or thought about before.

One more stroke of Leah's fingers and my clarity was forgotten, or perhaps just cast aside for the moment. I couldn't think about this now. I was a slave to my pleasure.

This was so different from anything I'd felt before. There was no clumsy fumbling or jamming of calloused digits. Leah's fingers were small, soft, and delicate, but they were deliberate. She knew exactly where to touch, with how much pressure, where to move.

With one hand, Leah had pulled the center of my panties down, giving her other hand room to touch and explore my wet sex. Her mouth continued to press hard kisses on the outside of my panties, directly on my clit.

Even though I had just orgasmed I knew I wasn't going to last very long. This was all so surprising and it felt so wonderful and it had been building in me since her massage started and it was Leah and she was sexy and I was getting close to blowing up again.

Almost unconsciously, my head pressed back into the pillow as my chest arched up toward the ceiling as if being pulled heavenward, my eyes closing as all of my focus centered on the sensation of Leah's silky fingers stroking my needy flesh.

Leah took that opportunity to move her hands quickly to the waistband of my panties, curling them around the elastic and giving me a slight warning tug.

She wanted them off. She wanted me _naked._

I lifted my hips, allowing her to remove the last barrier between us. I caught her eyes and she lifted one corner of her mouth into a very sly smile.

_Yep. She was still my girl, Leah._

That little moment reminded me that this was Leah. I was safe. We were going to be okay.

I brought my knees up, setting my feet flat on the bed so that she could pull my underwear free, vaguely wondering how the fuck this was happening, but too aroused to care.

Leah tossed them aside and moved toward me, ghosting her hands from my ankles up to my knees and back down my thighs where she settled on her belly, spreading me open for her. Her hair draped down her back, legs bent and kicking happily back and forth and she looked for all the world like a little girl gleefully settling in to watch her favorite movie.

Only she wasn't just an observer. And she wasn't a little girl. She was sexy and gorgeous and she was about to lick me. _There._

As she moved her face closer the butterflies in my lower belly started fluttering with a ferocity I had never felt. She searched my eyes through her dark lashes with a hungry look before opening her kiss-puffed lips. She pushed her pink tongue forward, flattening it and pressing it against my opening. Still keeping eye contact, she licked one straight, slow path up my pussy to the top of my clit.

I lost it, then. Moaning and squeezing my eyes shut, I burned everywhere, my belly tingling and fluttering, my senses ignited with the combination of the feeling of her mouth on me, the way she looked, the impossibility of the moment, my vulnerability and the relaxing remnants of my earlier buzz, the way she seemed to savor my taste as she closed her eyes and licked her lips, humming in appreciation.

"My God, Bell," she whispered, mostly to herself. "You taste like the ocean. Like lipbalm kisses in the ocean."

Now, one thing I had never understood was why girls liked to watch a guy giving them oral. It always made me nervous to look, pulling me out of my zone as I questioned whether or not the guy actually liked what he was doing.

Plus, my little landing strip made them look like they had a moustache from my point of view. And that was just silly.

This was so different. Leah was stunningly beautiful between my legs and she clearly wanted to be there, her expression so satisfied that you would think I was the one giving her the pleasure. As if she was licking an ice cream cone on a hot summer day.

And also, I had gone all bare for the summer. Boy was I happy about that decision.

Leah touched her soft mouth to me once again, this time focusing her soft-but-firm licks directly on my throbbing clit, swirling and circling around like she was playing. Her fingers caressed my silky skin, gliding up and down, before she tentatively, pushed one slowly into me.

Her eyes on mine once again, Leah was making sure to judge my comfort but looked tortured to be moving so slowly. I smiled at her before hissing in a deep breath as her finger pushed all the way in, cool and smooth in my heated embrace, curling up deliberately in a stroke of my G-spot.

It was astonishing, really, how she found it on the first try. Hell, it had taken Jake nearly a year to find it, and even then, it was only with a lot of coaching.

Confident now, Leah pushed a second finger inside my body to join with the first and stroked gently, petting my sensitive spot while her tongue still danced on the surface of my skin.

This was incredible, erotic, and felt like my body was being mastered and played by an expert. I supposed that was true. Though I was sure Leah had never done any of this to a woman before, she knew her own body, so pleasing mine came naturally.

Everything after that was a haze of bliss as my body thundered into a peak of ecstasy unmatched by anything I had felt before.

I came again, simultaneously from the inside and outside as Leah loved my clit to its peak and thrust her agile fingers into me in just the right rhythm, motion, stroking and pushing until I was crying out, eyes squeezed shut and chest arched high, feet planted on my sheets, pushing my hips up, up, up, and then collapsing in a heap of boneless, warm, sweet wonder.

Leah knew when to stop, when the touching would be too much and gracefully crawled up my body until she was once again straddling me. She pressed her body down on to mine, letting me feel the pleasure of her weight as she nuzzled my neck, hugging me gently.

She buried her face in my neck and hair as I tried to catch my breath and slow my racing heart. She seemed shy, afraid to look at me, but clinging to me a little bit desperately. I had the strongest desire to comfort her and before my breaths had slowed, I stroked her hair and tilted my face down to hers, trying to see her eyes.

She looked back at me hesitantly with so much vulnerability I thought my heart might break. I needed to let her know that she was perfect, safe, beautiful. That she was magical. That she had given me a gift that was awe inspiring.

"Leah?" I said softly, still panting a little. "Lee?" I turned her face toward mine and when she resisted slightly, I crawled out from under her and flipped over so that now I was straddling her, and she couldn't hide in my hair.

"Lee," I said with more force, searching her eyes to find my friend, my best friend.

I reached a hand up to stroke her eyebrow with my thumb, admiring her beauty. My thumb then traveled over her cheekbone until I was cupping her face in my warm hand.

It hit me then, what she had just done for me. The courage that had taken, the selflessness, the way she had delighted in my pleasure and brought me to a height of sensation beyond my imagination. As I traced her jaw with soft fingers I was overcome with gratitude and love for my friend.

I moved in quickly to kiss her rosy lips, tasting the sweet and salty flavor of her kiss.

It was her turn. My turn to explore, her turn to _feel_.

As I stripped her clothing off of her beautiful body, worshipping each inch of soft skin, marveling in the distinctive sweetness of her womanly form, I was honored. Honored to be experiencing this with Leah, to be experiencing _her_. Leah was fierce and guarded. Rarely vulnerable. Tough, even in her delicate beauty, and more than a little intimidating.

She carried herself proudly, showing the world a strong front.

But with me, she showed her real hand. The soft center of her soul was entrusted to me, never more than on this night.

I was honored. And I was high on that honor, floating with her to heights of ecstasy never before known to either of us.

I gave no thought to the aftermath. We would work it out. Whatever this was, whatever it meant or didn't mean, we would be okay.

~ 0 ~

The first thing I noticed was that my warmth had disappeared. I wasn't sure how we had slept but the bed was suddenly cold, my heated skin cooling, indicating the recent departure of a warm body. I lifted my head groggily to find Leah pulling on a sweatshirt and moving towards the window, her neck straining to see something outside.

Her voice hoarse, she glanced over at me and in a loud whisper said "Bell, did you hear that?"

I sat up, the covers falling off to reveal my bare torso, breasts soft and nipples pinker from the attention of last night.

Grabbing the blanket I stood up, wrapping it around me and moved toward the window where Leah was looking.

"No fucking way!" Leah suddenly yelled, venom lacing her tone.

"That fucking bitch!" She ran over to pull on her boxers and raced out of my room before I could even figure out what was happening.

I heard Leah pounding down the stairs and bundled the blanket tighter around me before running after her, barely conscious of the fact that I was naked but for a blanket.

I heard Leah's voice before I even reached the door, screaming threats and profanities at somebody.

Just as I reached the doorway, the screeching of tires and a puff of road dust were all that was left of whoever Leah was yelling at.

Leah was in the middle of the road, facing the retreating car. Her oversized sweatshirt hung off one shoulder revealing a tanned collarbone. Her hair was tangled and fluffier than usual, hanging in wisps around her shoulders and tickling her waist where her boxers had been pulled on in haste.

She was exquisite in her anger. Leah was fierce.

I watched her turn towards me and slowly walk back my way. She was all tanned legs and black hair, until I saw her face. Leah's gorgeous face was possibly even more beautiful in her fury.

How had I never seen this before?

I was reeling, feeling shock in every direction from trying to understand what was currently happening in front of my house, to the unfamiliar feelings and details I was noticing about Leah, to the sudden barrage of memories of last night that came hurtling back to me faster with each minute I was awake.

I swayed on my feet, a little dizzy with all of the realizations.

Leah saw and rushed toward me, catching me and lowering me down to the doorstep where she wrapped my blanket tighter around my shoulders and sat beside me, concern written in her expression.

"You okay, Bell?" she asked, looking back and forth between my eyes, worried.

"Yeah, fine. What happened?"

"Bella, that bitch Charlotte and her friends…they fucked up your car." She kept her eyes on me, still concerned.

I looked over and noticed glass shattered and sprinkled on my driveway. Hateful words written in what looked like lipstick on my car windows, one window smashed out completely. And something hanging off my side mirror…

_What_ is _that_?

I slowly got up, pulled the blanked tighter around me and walked out into the driveway, mindful of my bare feet, the breeze lifting the tips of my hair.

"Oh my fucking God!" I yelled before slapping my hand over my mouth. "I can't believe it! What a psycho!"

Leah had followed me over and turned her gaze from me to where I was looking.

To the tampon hanging off my side mirror.

A tampon. A _used_ fucking tampon.

I turned to Leah in total disbelief and was frozen by her look of pure fury. I mean, I was horrified at the disgusting prank but Leah… Leah was furious.

I watched as Leah's mask slowly slid into place, her tough exterior settling like a comfortable second skin, almost as if it was the more natural state for her.

She slipped her arm around my shoulders.

Calmly, much too calmly, Leah said, "Don't worry Bell. That bitch is going down."

This was the cool, emotionless, almost disdainful side of Leah that everyone else saw.

But somehow we had become close enough that she had showed me another side of her. I knew what was under there, the passion that burned beneath the surface.

I _knew_ Leah.

I didn't know what would come of the experience we had shared last night. What it meant about me, about her. If anything like it would ever happen again, or if I even wanted it to.

But, about three things I was absolutely positive. First, Leah had evoked feelings in me that were exciting and scary, and completely surprising to me and I needed to think about that. Second, I knew that Leah and I would find our way through this, and would be okay, whatever it was.

And third, I sure was glad that I wasn't Charlotte.

~0~

E/N this may possibly be continued as the characters have lots to resolve. Public voting will be held from June 28th-July12th. Thank you for reading! :-)


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